Round Towers complete stunning comeback against Clane to win Kildare Minor league final

Manguard Plus Minor Football League Division 2 Final

Round Towers 6-9

Clane 3-16

After Extra Time

Round Towers won their Minor Football League Division 2 final against Clane with a comeback win for the ages. The game was subject to a last minute venue and both sides did all they could to put on an attacking showcase for the crowds at the county grounds.

The winning action came in the 15th minute of extra time when Jay O’Brien was fouled inside the box.

Max Cosgrave slammed the penalty into the bottom corner. The goal would prove to be enough for Round Towers to complete an incredible comeback and claim the Division 2 title.

However it was the boys in all white that were all guns blazing inside a minute played. The ball found its way to star man Sean Tighe and the centre-forward calmly side footed the ball past Joey O’Toole in the Round Towers net.

It looked like it would be a bit of a mauling early on and after eight minutes Clane were through again. Full-forward Adam Fiztpatrick found himself in space and played the ball across to Tighe to slap home for his and Clane’s second goal of the afternoon.

After a barren opening spell Towers’ Jay O’Brien began to find the mark for his side kicking 1-3 in the remainder of the half, including a brilliant goal that no doubt lifted his side going into the second half. The sides entered the break at Clane 2-8 and Round Towers 1-5.

However, the second half looked destined to start the same as the first did as Sean Tighe burst through on goal but was expertly denied by Joey O’Toole in the Towers net. 

The save would prove vital as Towers’ James Clancy would make a burst from midfield passing every white shirt in his path before handing off to Max Cosgrave who slotted home to make the game 2-10 to 2-5 after 35 minutes. 

That was until Towers' substitute Jack Downes found an on-rushing Tadhg Donlon who in turn found the net to reduce the gap down to two. Donlon’s goal would be followed by a point from Donlon to make this a one-point game.

The remaining minutes were as tense as could possibly be with both sides missing chances to close or extender the gap. Clane’s Daire Doherty got the next score on 63 minutes to bring the gap back to two in additional time. 

His teammate Sean Dunne added another and just when it looked all over, Towers’ Padraig Daly sent in a long and hopeful pass that was missed by the Clane keeper. The ball broke to Tadhg Donlon who drew the sides level with a goal that was rifled into the back of the net to draw the sides level..

The scores wouldn't be separated again until Tadhg O’Donoghue put Clane ahead just before the end of the first half of extra time. The final twist in this game was the Cosgrave penalty that won Towers the Division 2 title in the most dramatic fashion.

Round Towers, Jay O'Brien 2-5, Tadhg Donlon 2-1, Max Cosgrave 2-0, Ben Ryan 0-1, Cormac Houlihan 0-1, Conor Clancy 0-1.

Clane, Sean Tighe 3-4, Killian O'Sullivan 0-3, Daragh Mullahy 0-2, Tadhg O'Donoghue 0-2, James Donlon 0-1, Ben Kirwan 0-1, Adam Fitzpatrick 0-1,  Sean Dunne 0-1, Daire O'Doherty 0-1,

ROUND TOWERS: Joey O'Toole; Cormac Walsh, Adam Quinn, Daniel Cox; Conor Clancy, Ben Ryan, Padraig Daly; Fayo Adeogun, James Clancy; David Kellett, Adam Christie, Cormac Houlihan; Max Cosgrave, Bryn Moore, Jay O'Brien.

Subs: Jack Downes on for Cormac Walsh (33 minutes), Tadhg Donlon on for Cormax Houlihan (35 minutes), Josh Dowling on for Adam Christie (37 minutes), Jack Ryan  on for James Clancy (42 minutes).

CLANE: Adam Milea; Stephen Lohan, Paddy Connelly, Danny Malone; James Donlon, Darren Ward, Callum Doran; Daire O'Doherty, Ethan Farrell; Rhys Vaughan, Sean Tighe, Ben Kirwan; Killian O'Sullivan, Adam Fitzpatrick, Daragh Mullahy.

Subs: Tadhg O'Donoghue on for Ben Kirwan (30 minutes), Eoin Geraghty on for James Donlon (46 minutes), Sean Dunne on for Darren Ward (50 minutes), Cully Healy on for Eoin Geraghty (60 minutes), James Donlon on for Daire O'Doherty (14 minutes of Extra time), Ben Kirwan on for Ethal Farrell (17 minutes of Extra time).

Referee: Ryan Moran